What kind of hawk is this?

[jeremy]

This thing has been hanging around our yard lately, any ideas on what kind of hawk it is and whether or not it'll eat the chickens?

 

[Oregon Blues]

It's lovely.

It won't eat your chickens if you have them in adequate housing.

 

[jeremy]

It's a nuisance.

Hawks have never been an issue before, so I have yet to cover their runs, which in itself will be an ordeal. We have allotted a large space for our chickens on our property, I don't know how easy or if we will actually be able to cover their runs entirely.

 

[dawg53]

I'm not sure what kind of hawk it is, but I know it will eventually go after your chickens, that is why it is near your property...I've had it happen and it made a meal out of one of my big Barred Rock hens. I didnt have a rooster at the time, but I do now...and he quickly sounds the alarm for any bird of prey and the hens run for cover. I have 2 chicken pens and managed to use hard plastic netting from Lowe's to cover the entire smaller pen, wasnt too expensive to do at all. The main pen is 90% tarp covered. Most of my chickens free range during the day when we're here. If we go anywhere, I lock them in their pens til we get back.

 

[Two Creeks Farm]

From the pics, either a Coopers or a Juvinile Redtail. I cant see enough of its chest to make it out. Regardless, it will eat chickens.

 

[BrattishTaz]

I'm not even going to try to ID that hawk but it is a danger to your chickens. I have a huge hawk problem here. I lost one roo and another was badly injured.

I can no longer let my birds out without supervision.

I can tell you what I did to help keep them out of my run though. I bought green, red, and blue string from the hardware department at Walmart. I criss-crossed the string over the run alternating colors as I went. This should not be considered 100% effective as a determined hawk could get through if it really tried. It has worked for me for the past year and a half though. If nothing else this visual deterrent would work better than nothing and give you some time to figure out if you want to upgrade with wire or netting. Plus it is cheap and easy to do too.

 

[NanaLantana]

I had a hawk attack from that same kind of hawk. I thought it was not big enough to carry off one of my almost-full-grown hens, but I hear that it will kill them and eat them on the ground. So far, we escaped death by hawk! I did almost what the previous poster did - I ran fish line criss-crossing over my run, but I added those shiny little round metal roofing tin things. I didn't have CD's! I punched a hole in them with a nail, then strung them on the fishline and tied them before hanging it. I'm not sure if it's a deterrent or not, but I have not seen the hawk since. I also plan to build a PVC scare-hawk to stand in the run.

Hope the information you get helps you, and hope your chickens keep safe. (I'm across from you in Palm Beach County)

 

[NanaLantana]

If it's a Cooper's hawk, I have a friend who says she cannot let her Chiuauah out alone, she has one hanging around waiting for him! Don't trust it - even though it is a beautiful creature - - -

 

[Bird Collector]

It's a chicken eating Hawk.

As stated in earlier post, you can get deer netting pretty cheep. I got two 14' by 14" sheets to cover my run and aluminum wire near the dog fence area to string across to hold the wire. Good luck

 

[goldtopper]

If it has a longish bar-striped tail, it's either a Cooper's or a Sharp-shinned. Both will take out chickens. They are fast and very manueverable- they'll come in low and out of the blue, and BANG- gone.
You may be able to ask your DNR or F&G Dept to get rid of it, or give you permisssion to.